We are long established community theatre that had a real home once and then lost is to a fire and now for the last ten years have struggled to continue to exist in a High school.  They have been great to us, but it is a high school with a bad reputation.  Anyway we have property and have finally got the board ready to build, yet some want a 200 seat proscenium and some a 99 seat black box. 

Does anyone have any info or know where to glean any specs on size and cost on recently built black box or Proscenium? 

 

thanks

 

doug

I love the idea of the "black box" and agree that such a configuaration can be set up in any way, but my experience shows that nearly 90% of the time (FMU*) the director (and/or technicians)pushes the stage against one wall and lines up the chairs like bleachers because that's "easiest."

Most plays are written for the proscenium; most audiences are used to it; most technicians are comfortable with it. 

I suggest a compromise and build a 3/4 or "thrust" stage.  You get the intimacy of a black box theater plus the added convenience of a proscenium with wing space and offstage exits.

*FMU = "Figure Made Up."

 

Given my druthers, I'd rather work proscenium, but for six years I have been directing mostly in black box and have found many advantages.  Your set can be suggested rather than full-blown.  This often saves time and money although it requires more imagination (thinking outside the (black) box)??  I read once of a company that produced K2.  The action of the play takes place with the two actors clinging to the face of K2, the second highest mountian on earth.  Rather than build a mountian in their black box, the director, designer and TD put the audience INSIDE the mountian so the actors would, while hanging on the side of the cliff, face in to the mountian and therefor the audience.  An elegant arrangement.  My main point is that most shows will, with some thought and ingenuity, will work in any space. 
   One other thing I prefer about the black box is the closer proximity of the audience to the actors.  I feel I get better work out of my actors since the nearness of the ticket holders forces a more focused approach to the craft.  You can't let your eyes wonder during a scene ... it's more noticable.  If you can't wander, you're forced to pay more attention to those one stage with you.  It forces you to become a better listener.  These things, I believe, make you a better actor. 
Good luck with your new theater....How Fun !!

NO such thing as a stupid question!

Visit this link for succinct explanation: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box_theater

If you're truly in Albania, this won't make a difference . . . but just in case your location ID is a mistake . . .

There is a new rule in Equity (and I'm not too sure which way it swings), regarding the 99-seat house.  Check it out and then judge what your actor pool is like.  If you are in an area with many Equity actors and few non-Equity (say back East), then this may be a consideration in what type of house you design.